> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.serval.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Skills vs. Knowledge

> The one rule for deciding whether something belongs in a Skill or in your Knowledge Base

Skills and Knowledge are the two ways you give Serval's help desk agent what it needs to resolve a request. The rule for telling them apart is one sentence.

<Info>
  **Knowledge is information. Skills are instructions.**

  If it's a fact the agent looks up to answer a question, it's **Knowledge**. If it changes how the agent behaves, it's a **Skill**.
</Info>

***

## The test

Ask: **am I giving the agent a fact, or telling it how to act?**

* **A fact** the agent uses to answer a question — "How much PTO do I get?", "What's our parental leave policy?" → **Knowledge**
* **Instructions** that shape what the agent does — "Push back when someone asks for admin access; if they insist, run the access-request workflow" → **Skill**

***

## Examples

| Put it in…    | When it's…                                      | Example                                                                                       |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Knowledge** | a policy or fact someone would look up          | PTO policy, benefits overview, holiday schedule, expense limits                               |
| **Skill**     | a behavior or procedure the agent should follow | "For prod access requests, verify the requester's team, then run the access-request workflow" |
| **Knowledge** | reference material, no action                   | "Our VPN client is Cisco AnyConnect; supported OSes are…"                                     |
| **Skill**     | how to handle a situation                       | "If a user reports repeated VPN failures, collect their device details and escalate to IT"    |

<Note>
  The same topic can live on both sides. "The guest Wi-Fi password is `serval-guest`" is **Knowledge**. "When someone can't connect to Wi-Fi, walk them through these steps, then escalate if it still fails" is a **Skill**. Facts go in Knowledge; the steps for what to do go in a Skill.
</Note>

***

## Learn more

* [Skills overview](/sections/documentation/skills/overview) — how to write instructions for the agent
* [Knowledge Base overview](/sections/documentation/knowledge-base/overview) — how to author and connect reference content